Claudio Ranieri expects the Scudetto race to go down to the wire yet again, while explaining why Stefano Pioli of Milan and Napoli’s Luciano Spalletti ‘are the coaches who intrigue me the most.’
The 70-year-old tactician is currently between jobs, but seems to have no intention of retiring just yet.
He was a guest at the Festival dello Sport event in Trento and spoke about the current Serie A scene, including the title race.
“You can never tell who will win the Scudetto and it’s more uncertain than ever this season. It’s like the Formula 1 last term, when Verstappen won the title at the last lap,” said Ranieri.
“It’s going to be a real battle. Milan and Napoli are doing very well indeed, Atalanta have changed a lot and are up there, while Inter and Juventus might be lagging, but they have time to catch up.
“Roma will fight too, it’s a wonderful league that really could go down to the wire. It reminds me of the season when Max Allegri was at Juventus and made that incredible comeback.”
Yet it remains to be seen if Allegri will still be on the Bianconeri bench after the break for the World Cup, seeing the terrible form in both Serie A and the Champions League.
“I would change coach if I realised the squad was no longer following its leader. It is the team that must be able to get itself back on its feet.”
When it comes to the other coaches in Serie A, Ranieri also has some strong opinions.
“Pioli and Spalletti are the coaches who intrigue me the most. The only time I don’t quite understand Spalletti is when he’s talking!
“Milan believed in Pioli and I like to see him at work. Napoli enjoy their football and you can see it in every attacking move they make. As for those abroad, I like Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.”